how does the prosecuting attorney reveal his prejudice in his questioning of tom robinson?

by Ms. Krystel Vandervort III 9 min read

Cite In Chapter 19, Mr. Gilmer cross-examines Tom Robinson and clearly reveals his prejudice by referring to Tom as "boy" and sneering at him. As was mentioned in the previous post, Dill becomes sick when he sees how Mr. Gilmer is disrespectfully speaking to Tom.

Full Answer

How does Mr Gilmer use prejudice against Tom Robinson?

In addition to the racial slurs the prejudiced citizens use to describe Tom, the prosecuting attorney Mr. Gilmer reveals his racist personality by speaking down to …

What does Tom Robinson say in the first chapter of to kill a Mockingbird?

For example, Tom Robinson was never given a fair chance during his trial because of his race. The story quotes “I ain’t ever seen any jury decide in favor of a colored man over a white man” (Lee 279). The jury ended up convicting Tom Robinson guilty because of …

Was Tom Robinson guilty before he stepped into the courtroom?

Horace Gilmer is the name of the solicitor or prosecuting attorney during the Tom Robinson trial. ... for Mayella and relies strictly on the jury's prejudice to win the case. ... His questioning ...

How does the reader feel about Tom Robinson's case?

In Chapter 19, Mr. Gilmer cross-examines Tom Robinson and clearly reveals his prejudice by referring to Tom as "boy" and sneering at him. As was mentioned in …

What does Mr Gilmer reveal during his cross-examination of Tom Robinson?

Gilmer's cross-examination of Tom Robinson was rather harsh and insulting. His strategy was to avoid talking about evidence and not ask questions relevant to Tom's testimony. He spoke rudely, sarcastically, and condescendingly to Tom.

What does the testimony of Tom Robinson reveal?

Truthfully, Tom's testimony actually embarrasses the Ewells more. Tom tells the court that Mayella asked him to kiss her saying, "'what her papa do to her don't count,'" which informs the whole town that Bob Ewell sexually abuses his daughter.

What do we find out that Tom Robinson has been accused of?

Tom is found guilty of raping Mayella although reasonable doubt and Tom's handicap is proven, HOWEVER, the jury deliberates for a few hours, which implies that they are considering the defense's testimony.

Who is the prosecutor against Tom Robinson?

Prosecutor Horace GilmerIn his cross-examination, Prosecutor Horace Gilmer had Robinson nailed dead to rights. Mr. Gilmer began his cross-examination by revealing that Robinson had a history of disorderly conduct, including an arrest on record. Next, Gilmer coaxed Robinson into refuting a previously raised point made by Atticus Finch.Jun 5, 2019

What did Tom admit to the prosecutor Mr Gilmer?

Mr. Gilmer gets up and cross-examines Tom. The prosecutor points out that the defendant was once arrested for disorderly conduct and gets Tom to admit that he has the strength, even with one hand, to choke the breath out of a woman and sling her to the floor.

What did Mayella Ewell say in his testimony?

Mayella testifies and insists that Tom raped her and beat her as well. Mayella says Tom is asked to chop a chiffarobe and that is when he rapes her. Atticus shows through her testimony that she has no social skills, has an unhappy homelife, and has no friends. She has nothing of value in her life.

How did Tom Robinson not have a fair trial?

A jury is supposed to be free of both sympathy and prejudice for the defendant. Obviously, the jury was not impartial to Tom Robinson due to his race, and they convicted him based on their racial prejudices. For these reasons, Tom Robinson did not receive a fair trial.”

What did Tom Robinson actually do?

Tom Robinson, a black man, is charged with attacking and raping a white woman. Although he is innocent of the crime, the all-white jury finds him guilty, and when he is sent to prison, he tries to escape and is shot and killed.Mar 9, 2017

What is so troubling about Mr Gilmer's questioning of Tom?

Gilmer is harsh and insulting. He does not talk about evidence or ask questions relevant to Tom's testimony. Instead, he insinuates that Tom "had [his] eye" on Mayella for a long time and that this was the reason Tom helped her with her chores around the Ewell house.

How does Mr Gilmer's treatment of Tom?

Gilmer is the prosecutor who faces off against Atticus in court. Scout thinks their rivalry is strictly a legal one, but Dill notices something else: while Atticus treats all the witnesses, even the Ewells, with respect, Mr. Gilmer treats Tom Robinson with a rudeness and contempt he doesn't show to the white witnesses.

Who are the lawyers in TKAM?

Atticus Finch He is a lawyer who appears to support racial equality and is appointed to represent Tom Robinson, a black man who has been accused of raping a young white woman, Mayella Ewell.

Why was Tom Robinson killed in To Kill a Mockingbird?

In to kill a mockingbird Tom Robinson was accused of rape that he did not do, but because he was black he had got accused of it. In the report of Emmett Till Till was killed because he had want to the south to visit his family but he was killed because he was black.

Why did color people not get a fair trial?

Colored people that were sent to court could not receive a fair trial because of the prejudice and racism from the jury. This happened all the time, especially in Maycomb Alabama. In the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, a colored man named Tom Robinson was convicted of assaulting a white woman just because of the color of his skin. Tom Robinson should have been found not guilty for many reasons.

Why was the court of all white men always partisan?

The author’s description of the court’s ruling was definite and expected because as Atticus explained, society is biased, therefore the court of all white men were always partisan towards voting in favor of a white man without allowing any arguments against him to sway them. Even though Tom Robinson was not guilty and Atticus had strongly proven him as an innocent who was falsely accused of rape, but because discrimination was a factor in the final judgement, the consequences in society’s prejudice consequently led to the suffering of innocent individuals like Tom Robinson who received discriminatory treatment and trial due to their race. Descriptions of southern beliefs during the time period throughout the book develop and clarify the major theme of the

What was the Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill?

About eighty-three percent of people lynched were black. In 1922, "The Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill" was an effort to stop lynching altogether in the United States. The people behind this bill were obviously not okay with lynching, and saw it as an unlawful and immoral thing to do to another human being.

Summary

The chapter starts with Tom Robinson giving the oath that he will tell nothing but the truth. Atticus started questioning him. Tom Robinson was asked about the previous time he had been arrested. He said it was because he and another person got in a fight and had to pay a fine, but he couldn’t pay it, so he had to serve for a little bit.

Important Quotes

The text states, “”Yes, sh. I felt right sorry for her, she seemed to try more’n the rest of em-“” (224). This is an important quote because it shows how Tom Robinson cared for Mayella regardless of who she was classified as, and her being white. He wanted to help her, because she needed it.

Literary Elements

conflict: Mr. Gilmer and Atticus. They are in a legal battle with Mayella Ewell and Tom Robinson. They are fighting be making points and asking questions in a court room, to try and prove that Tom Robinson id guilty or unguilty.